Gems of the South: Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art

Tuesday, May 29, 2018

What? You’ve never heard of Crystal Bridges, or Bentonville, for that matter. You’re probably not alone, but let’s change that right here and now. Here’s a bit of background:

A long-time art lover and collector, Crystal Bridges was conceived by Alice Walton, daughter of Sam Walton, the founder of retail juggernaut Walmart, and his wife Helen. Her dream was to create a significant museum in her hometown of Bentonville to have great works of art accessible to the people of the NorthWest Arkansas region. She planned on building it on a 120-acre parcel of natural Ozark forest that had belonged to her family for many years. In 2006, builders broke ground for the museum — a remarkable organic design by world renowned architect Moshe Sadie — which would take five years to complete.